Want to remember the year? Create a time capsule to preserve

2003

December 30, 2003|By Emilie Le Beau, Special to the Tribune.

It was 10 years ago when Christine G. and her Girl Scout troop made a time capsule."We recorded a tape of our favorite songs and stuck it in there," says Christine, 17, of Des Plaines. "I think we sang some camp songs and recorded a radio song."

Besides the tape, Christine says she can't remember what else she packed into the time capsule.There might be a letter or pictures from her time at camp in it. "The tape is what sticks out in my mind," she says. "I'm really looking forward to listening to that tape."

Being able to listen to a tape of herself at 7 years old is a fun memory for Christine. She says time capsules are a great way to remember different times in your life.

Time capsules also are a cool way to let future generations know how we lived and what was important to us.And now that 2003 is almost over, building a time capsule of the year can help you remember it decades from now.

Michelle R. saysa 2003 time capsule is "the history of our world and what's happening to us." Because she graduated from junior high this year, Michelle, 14,of Chicagosays her time capsule would include items from commencement, her yearbook and letters.

Newspaper clippings about 2003 also are time-capsule worthy, says Michelle. She says newspaper articles "remind you of the world around you," and will be great to read when you open the capsule.

And 2003 was a year with a lot of news.

The war in Iraq began in March and the SARs virus spread. The recording industry began suing music downloaders in April. And the $20 bill got a face-lift in October.

It also was the year Britney came back and Sammy Sosa's bat cracked. Hilary Duff launched her first album, J.K. Rowling released the fifth Harry Potter book andJessica and Nick were "Newlyweds." In movies, the trilogies of"The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix" finished in theaters.

Other popular events grabbed attention, like David Blaine encasing himself in a glass box above London Bridge without food for 40 days. It was pretty crazy at the time, but will you care in 30 years?

Part of making a time capsule is trying to figure out what will be important to the people who open it, says Northwestern sociology professor Bernard Back. "It's hard to judge with a time capsule what people will care about when they look back," he says.

It may be hard to choose what to put in a time capsule, but don't let that stop you. "If you have the idea to put it in, don't rule it out," says Back. "Don't be squeamish about what you put in."

Not being "squeamish" means being truthful about your life. If you want to make a time capsule about your life in 2003, you have to put in the good with the bad.That means packing a bad report card and those ribbons that say "participant" instead of "first." "You'll want to see it one day," says Christine. "It tells you everything that is going on right now."

To really know everything that's going on right now, Richie G. of Chicago says you have to write it down. Writing about your life at school and home will help you remember once you're an adult. "I would write down what I really want to accomplish in life," says Richie, 11. "I would do that to see if I accomplished what I really wanted to back then when I was a kid."

Pictures are another good way to mark what's going on in your life. "There ought to be lots and lots of pictures," says Back. "And objects from a typical kid's room, where you spend the most time."

And finding pictures or favorite things from your room might bring back great memories when you crack it open one day. "You'll get to remember the specific section of time and how you thought back then," says Christine.

Capturing your life

Making a time capsule about your life in 2003 will help you remember, decades from now, who you once were. But how do you describe your life? Here are a few ideas:

- Christine G. recommends keeping a diary for 30 days before closing your time capsule.

Write about your daily life, even if some of the details seem boring.

- Make a list of all the technology you use every day. Impressed by flat-screen TVs or CD burners? Make a note because the technology of today might give you a good laugh tomorrow.

- Talk about your future.Write down what you like to do and what you see yourself doing one day. Richie G. says you'll be able to see some day if you accomplished all your goals.

- Write about the people in your life.Do you like playing catch withyour dad? Always on the go with Grandma? Jot down your favorite times with your favorite people.

Pack it up

Worried you need a stainless-steel cylinder to bury underground? Relax and start packing.

Christine G. says a time capsule can be made out of anything. The one she made with her Girl Scout troop was fashioned out of an old ice-cream carton.

And they didn't bury the time capsule underground or stash it in a cave; their time capsule is stored in a closet. Keeping it in a closet or attic instead of burying it helps prevent it from getting cold and wet.

Weed out what's not worthy

Food. Most edible goods rot after a while. Don't pack a snack for when it's time to open the time capsule.

Outdated or retro items. Leave out the lava lamps, Duran Duran tapes and anything else that was popular when you weren't around. Make the time capsule about your life.

Celebrity stuff. It's cool to put in a bit about what was popular in 2003, it says a lot about our interests. But don't be too heavy-handed with the celebrity stuff. You might be disappointed one day to find a box filled with Christina Aguilera memorabilia and nothing else.